Guest Post by Sir Frederick Chook: "How to be Transcendental"

How to be Transcendental by Sir Frederick Chook

Penned upon the 27th of November, 2008

First appeared in FrillyShirt (www.frillyshirt.org)

 

“His business taught him expedients to husband time: in our victimizing climate he was fitted for storms or bad walking; his coat must contain certain special conveniences for a walker, with a note-book and spy-glass, – a soldier in his outfits. For shoddy he had an aversion: a pattern of solid Vermont gray gave him genuine satisfaction, and he could think of corduroy. His life was one of fabric. He spared the outfitters no trouble; he wished the material cut to suit him, as he was to wear it, not worshipping “the fashion” in cloth or opinion.”

“In these walks, two things he must have from his tailor: his clothes must fit, and the pockets, especially, must be made with reference to his out-door pursuits. They must accomidate his note-book and spy-glass; and so their width and depth was regulated by the size of the note-book.
-William Ellery Channing, Thoreau the Poet-Naturalist

“Margaret inaugurated, in 1839, her “Conversations” for the intellectual women of Boston, exploring such subjects as classical mythology and “What is Life?” Margaret Fuller presided over these bacchantic rites in homemade dresses that her adorers thought to be of Oriental magnificence, and at the climax of each session, when she had reduced the others to awed silence, she would close her eyes in an inspired trance and utter unfathomable words, which they thought eminated from some occult or Delphic wisdom.”
-Perry Miller, Margaret Fuller, American Romantic

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Sir Frederick Chook is a foppish, transcendentalistic historian who lives variously by his wits, hand to mouth, la vie bohème, and in Melbourne with his wife, Lady Tanah Merah.

When not reading Milton and eating Stilton, he writes, ponders, models, delves into dusty archives, and gads about town. He has dabbled in student radio and in national politics, and is presently studying the ways of the shirt-sleeved archivist. He is a longhair, aspiring to one day be a greybeard. He has, once or twice, been described as “as mad as a bicycle.”

FrillyShirt is a compilation of articles, essays, reviews, photographs, artworks, question-and-answers, promotions, travelogues, diatribes, spirit journeys, cartoons, ululations and celebrations by Sir Frederick, his friends and contributing readers. Irregularly regular features include Teacup in a Storm, an etiquette column, and How to be Lovely, advanced speculations on the aesthetics of the self.

Other topics that pop up include fun things in and around Melbourne, art, nature, history, politics and schnauzers. Sir Frederick’s favorite color is all of them. Enjoy his writing? Drop him a telegram at fredchook@frillyshirt.org.